This invention relates to the automation of fabricating sheet metal parts and more particularly fabricating sheet metal parts using workpiece manipulators such as robots under microprocessor control.
Heretofore, there have been various types of manufacturing control systems, tool installations using numerical control machines and other types of individual work stations having control under computer programs. These types of systems are described in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,286 to Aronstein et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,563 to Williamson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,812 to Svensson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,088 to Sato, U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,431 to Mumford, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,598 to Williamson. None of the mentioned prior art patents describe an overall method of fabricating a sheet metal part or the like using workpiece manipulators to transfer the workpiece from one work station to another under complete microprocessor control using known points along a selected X axis and a common Y axis.